Closings

Severe Weather

Omaha breaks out ice choppers to clear streets

By Natalie Glucklich, Reporter/Weekend Anchor

OMAHA, Neb. -

Omaha roads crews are now hauling out more hardware to battle ice and snow pack leftover from the city’s last round of winter weather.

Traditional snow plows simply can’t cut through the snow pack creating slick surfaces to walk and drive on. The city of Omaha has deployed four trucks with special blades, which hit the roads Thursday night.

Foreman Dawaune Hayes says the plows, called motor patrols, are needed now more than ever. The snow from last week’s blizzard froze fast and Thursday morning, Mother Nature added another layer on top of it.

“The fresh snow over the ice, you really can't tell that it's an icy surface,” Hayes told KETV Newswatch 7’s Natalie Glucklich. “So cutting this off will give drivers more of a chance to stop on flat pavement then icy pavement.”

Traditional plows are still out, too. Nearly 80 of them spent Thursday in residential neighborhoods were streets are still slick. Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle called last week’s blizzard a storm that kept crews guessing.

"The snow was so wet, and the snow came down so quickly that it pretty much became an ice event as opposed to a snow event,” said Suttle.

An ice event that now has a new enemy, pushing aside the slick stuff so everyone can drive a little easier.

The city is mostly clearing ice on highly traveled streets and roads around schools, churches and community centers.

If you have a particular concern, you are urged to contact the city. Mayor Suttle said Thursday the best way to do that was through the city’s smart phone app, which can be downloaded for free through your phone. You can also call the Mayor’s hotline, but earlier Thursday, the message box was full.

Copyright 2012 byKETV.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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